KUALA LUMPUR – In light of the upcoming state elections in Melaka and a potential poll in Sarawak, the delay of a by-election in Bugaya, Sabah has been questioned.
Ahmad Hassan (Papar-Warisan) raised the matter in the Dewan Rakyat session today during the debate session involving the annulment of the emergency proclamation.
“The people of Sabah have been waiting for a long time as the Bugaya state seat has long been vacant.
“If state elections can be held in Melaka and potentially Sarawak, why can’t a by-election be arranged in Bugaya?” he questioned.
In response, Law Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (PBB-GPS) said he had brought up the issue during a cabinet meeting last week.
He further claimed that he had vouched for an election to be held in Bugaya as the previous Bugaya assemblyman, Datin Manis Muka Mohd Darah, had passed away within two years of her tenure as a state legislative member.
The by-election for the Bugaya state constituency along with the Gerik parliamentary constituency in Perak was supposed to be held in January this year, but was cancelled due to the proclamation of emergency declaration in December, last year.
In August, Sabah state legislative assemblyman Datuk Kadzim M. Yahya had stated that it is up to the Election Commission (EC) to come up with a new election date.
To date, however, the EC has not announced their decision on whether or not a by-election will be held in Bugaya and Gerik. – The Vibes, October 25, 2021
